Vandals face a crackdown in Worthing as the cost of graffiti and criminal damage soars.

Council bosses are planning a major blitz on graffiti after the cost to Worthing shot up 58 per cent to £105,000 in the year to September.

They are now so concerned they are considering pumping more than £42,000 into an anti-vandalism strategy for the town.

The blitz could include introducing antisocial behaviour orders to deal with persistent offenders.

Other plans include spending £36,000 on setting up a security team to patrol hot spots and putting up walls where graffiti artists can legally spray.

The council could also mount a poster campaign and form a rapid response unit to ensure repairs are carried quickly.

There were 151 incidents of vandalism at beach huts on Worthing seafront from September 1999 to September 2000, almost double the number in the previous year. Overall criminal damage rose 16 per cent.

Graffiti in parks and open spaces and at the Aquarena swimming complex has also increased sharply.

John Thorpe, the council's assistant community services director, says in a report: "The total financial impact on the council and the town as a whole of this sort of problem is substantial.

"Considerable council resources are employed in the fight against vandalism and it is appropriate that this is pulled together as an anti-vandalism strategy for Worthing."

Vandalism cost East Worthing Community Centre £600 from September 1999 to September 2000 and Durrington Community Centre more than £800.

The council's leisure services committee will discuss the proposals on Monday.

Police spokesman Nick Sandford said the force would not comment until after the council meeting.

A Home Office spokesman said graffiti could be covered under the antisocial behaviour orders.

He said: "It is up to the courts what they do but curfews would be an option, to stop people going into certain streets and that sort of thing. If someone keeps on attacking someone's car with graffiti then that would constitute causing alarm."